This may seem like a controversial opinion, but hear me out.
It may be every readers dream to have a cosy reading nook, and I often see advice to get kids reading is to create a reading nook… however, especially if you have autistic and/or ADHD kids who take things literally, don’t do this.
Reading nooks may seem like a good idea and I understand the theory behind it, however if you have a young reader who takes things literally, you may find that the child won’t read anywhere other than the nook.
They also may not use that spot for any other purpose than reading and get upset if anyone else sits there.
One of the best things I did with my kids was to encourage them to read anywhere. This has also stood me in good stead with reading.
I am autistic and ADHD, though I didn’t know this as a kid. Reading was regulation for me and I would read in class, on the bus to school, in bed, in the lounge room, on holiday, in waiting rooms, basically anywhere.
I encouraged this with my kids. If we were waiting for doctors appointments, they could read their book. If we were sitting in a café, they could read their book. They didn’t equate reading to a cosy space at home.
I did experiment with a nook at one point and it backfired on me. Once I rearranged things so they didn’t have a reading nook, they read more as they would read anywhere.
Any parents of autistic and/or ADHD kids, if you are wanting to create a reading nook, see if it’s something that will actually work for your kids as it may not have the impact you want it to.
